Pages

February 3, 2010

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Quinoa, bell pepper and green onion salad

~ Quinoa, bell pepper and green onion salad ~

During a recent phone call with my mother, she mentioned that she’d bought quinoa for the first time and was curious if I’d cooked with it before and if I had tips regarding its preparation. I have indeed, I informed her, and it’s really a delightful grain that lends itself beautifully to being paired with a myriad of other flavours (from dried cranberries to oven roasted tomatoes). I suggested preparing it with a tasty stock, some fresh herbs and whatever vegetables she fancied.

While I don’t cook quinoa as often as I do certain other grains like rice, barley and couscous, I do enjoy whipping up a dish with this adorable little ingredient (which is technically a cereal, not a grain, that’s related to the spinach plant) from time-to-time, and when I do, the recipe below is one that I often turn to. I put it together a few years ago after a different quinoa centered discussion with someone else, and adore how well this dish works in either its warm or cold state.

{This cheerfully lovely vintage sign for fresh sweet peppers would have definitely been enough to get me to pull over and check out the produce on offer at a roadside vegetable stand. These days however, you can spot it over at AllPosters.com, where it’s for $10.99 (for a 12 x 12 inch version).}

If you’ve never tried quinoa before, I highly recommend picking up a package (it’s available at nearly all well-stocked health food stores and most larger supermarkets). Quinoa, which is naturally gluten-free, is high in protein and essential amino acids, meaning that it works very well as a complete protein source. It’s also rich in fiber, iron, and magnesium. When cooked quinoa has a very pleasant, gentle, vaguely nutty flavour (it’s a bit reminiscent of brown rice) that makes it well suited to both savoury and sweet dishes (it makes a delightful alternative to oatmeal for breakfast or brunch when mixed with ingredients like fruit, nuts and honey).

Once cooked quinoa is light and fluffy, perfect for absorbing dressings and lending it’s gentle flavour to more robust vegetable and/or meat overtones. This particular salad is vegetarian, but you could toss in a handful of grilled meat or prawns for a heartier meal, or keep the vegetarian theme going by including zucchini, eggplant or any other veggie you wish for more substance.

All this talk of quinoa has me suddenly craving its mild, wonderful taste and soft yet slightly crunchy texture so much, I think I too will have to pick up a package the next time I’m out grocery shopping. In the meantime though, I’ll call up my mom to see how her first foray into quinoa cooking turned out.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa (ensure that you buy the type which is labelled as having been washed so as to remove the slightly bitter outer coating that quinoa contains naturally)

In a medium-large saucepan (the heavier the bottom, the better) combine the three cups of water and quinoa; bring to a soft boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for about 13-18 minutes. You are aiming to have as much as possible of the liquid absorbed, much like a pot of rice, and for the quinoa to have softened.

Meanwhile combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper in a jar or bottle with a secure lid (one that won’t leak). Shake the mixture vigorously to emulsify the oil and vinegar. Store at room temperature until you are ready to dress the quinoa salad.

While the quinoa is cooking, dice all the vegetables and fry them for about two minutes over medium-high heat in a large non-stick frying pan or skillet (the scallion may only need a minute), just so that they sweat and release some of their natural oils. Remove from the heat, toss with the flat leaf parsley (or your choice or herbs), and stir into the quinoa once it’s finished cooking.

Pour the dressing over the veggie and quinoa mixture and toss lightly to coat all the grains. Serve warm or chilled. Any leftovers can be kept, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight plastic container, in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This dish travels well and is absolutely perfect to take to summer picnics, backyard barbeques and potlucks all year round (you can easily multiple the recipe as needed).

We love quinoa...the only really bad thing about it is spelling it. I always have to look and look to see if it is spelled right. For some reason this always seems like a spring/summer ingredient to me. I end up using couscous in the fall and winter.

Jillian from "You Are What You Eat" on BBC America uses quinoa a lot in her meal plans (I'd never heard of it before seeing that show). I'll have to see if our health food store has this. Sounds interesting!

I'm Jessica, a lifelong lover of all things antique and vintage, especially those from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

This blog is my visual scrapbook in which I record and share my thoughts on the multitude of sources, people and products that inspire and feed a modern gal's addiction to the past. I also post about the vintage clothes, hairstyles and make-up looks that I adore wearing.

Stay a spell and have a blast as we explore the incomparably fantastic world of vintage history and fashion together.

All images used on this site are credited to their original posters/creators/sources,
however if at any time you would prefer not to see one of your images here, please email me and I'll take it down right away.

PS...I just wanted to say thank you very much for visiting and to tell you that you're equal parts awesome and beautiful.